


Where the Sea meets the Earth

by DemonRomantic



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (We'll see where this goes), Alternate Timeline, Budding Romance, F/M, If things had been different
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-28 13:08:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20064544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonRomantic/pseuds/DemonRomantic





	1. Chapter 1

Where the Sea meets the Earth  
By DemonRomantic  
Toph took a deep breath and shuffled a few more inches towards the water until it met her toes. It was wet, big deal. She’d been wet, she’d swam with her friends. Well, waded while staying close to Sokka and latching onto his arm… She knew he wouldn’t let her sink, but she wanted to keep up her tough girl image, especially now that her body was betraying her.   
Over the winter, her breasts had come in fully and she’d grown about a foot taller, making her center of balance feel off, and she was still trying to get comfortable in her own skin again. It felt like people were watching her, analyzing the great earthbender who had discovered metalbending only to whisper amongst themselves about her short comings. The paranoia was enough to make her mad and she kicked at the water in frustration.  
“Woah, what did the ocean ever do to you?”   
She had ‘seen’ him coming, even before he spoke with that unmistakable voice. Turning towards him as a formal curtesy and habit she was still trying to break, she frowned.   
“Hey, meathead.” Her voice was still the same at least, though his had stopped cracking. “What’re you doing out here?”   
She could hear the smile in his voice. “Checking on you. You suddenly disappeared, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”   
Turning her body back towards the crashing waves with a sigh, she grumbled out her frustration and got into an earthbending stance to breathe. “I can take care of myself, Sokka, I don’t need a babysitter.”   
She heard his feet crunch across the sand towards her before his hand came to lay on her exposed shoulder. She was wearing fire nation clothing to keep cool while they suffered the stagnant heat of Ember Island, although the night was becoming chilly.   
“I never said that you did. Why are you out here playing in the water by yourself? I thought that you couldn’t swim.”  
Toph blushed and then mumbled with her head bowed. “I was trying to teach myself how.”  
Instead of berating her for trying to swim in the ocean at night all alone, Sokka moved the hand on her shoulder down her arm and brought his other hand up to mirror it. “You need to paddle with your arms, too, but first you actually have to get in the water.”   
He began walking her forward until she could feel the cold sea lapping at her ankles.   
“Hey, wait! What are you-?”   
His cheek was suddenly against hers, and she could feel his breath as he spoke. “Relax, Toph. I won’t let you go.”   
She stiffened a little before easing her body; recalling the day that they had been on the airship, and she had almost fallen to her death, but then there was his hand saving her life. His words had not been comforting, but he didn’t once loosen his grip, and then Suki had given them the opportunity they needed… Toph didn’t have any sort of hatred toward her friend; not when she and Sokka had been together, not when she had decided to leave, never once. Looking back now, she thought that it was kind of ironic that Suki had saved her from drowning. She wouldn’t lie and say that it wasn’t a relief, though, to not have competition now. Relationships weren’t her biggest strong suit. Rocks were easy; they didn’t have feelings that you could smash, and when they crushed you at least they were straight to the point about it. Sokka had now guided her to where her waist was below water and stopped, placing his feet on either side of hers as an extra indication that he was there.  
“Now, when you let the water take your weight, you have to keep yourself up. Using your arms and legs as paddles will help you keep yourself balanced in the water. I’ll hold onto you if you want to try bringing your feet up.”  
Toph hesitated, but slowly brought one foot up, keeping it against Sokka’s leg the entire time.   
“Okay, good. Now, try bringing up the other one.”  
She was slower with this foot, but let it come off of the sandy bottom the same as the first. Her body shifted down and she momentarily seized up, but the hands on her arms shifted to her waist, and Sokka kept talking the whole time.   
“That’s it! Great job, Toph. Try stroking your arms and legs to get a feel for how your body is going to stay upright.”  
“Y-you won’t let go, right?”  
“Never. I’m right here.” He squeezed her slightly to show her, making her ticklish. “Remember that you can still stand if you don’t feel safe.”  
She took a breath before paddling her arms and then her feet. After a few minutes, she started laughing nervously. “I think I’ve got it!”   
“Great!”   
Halting her movements, Toph let her feet find the ocean floor once again, and then she found Sokka’s hands still at her waist. She guided them away, while still holding on and turned around so that she was facing him. With the water surrounding them and wet sand beneath her feet, she couldn’t sense his body as easily as on dry land. Guiding herself from his hands, up his arms, she pulled herself closer to him until she had him in a hug. He returned it, smiling though she couldn’t see it.   
“Well done, Toph.”   
“Thanks, Sokka… Will you take me back to the shore now?”  
She had meant for him to guide her there, but he brought his arms beneath her and carried her as he waded back out of the water. Once they were back on the beach, he kept holding onto her.   
“Hey, you can put me down now, you know?”   
His breath was warm against her face, especially on her mouth, and then slowly there was a soft feeling against her lips. She had never been kissed before, she had only heard people describe it and that made her expect it to be wet and slimy, but this was nothing like that. Sokka’s kiss was gentle and warm like the rest of him, and so soft that it reminded her of a blanket. Pulling away, he brushed her bangs behind her ear.   
“I don’t want to.” He whispered.   
This time the heat was from her own body, she didn’t know what red was supposed to ‘look’ like, but it ‘felt’ like this. She didn’t think it was possible, but it was unmistakably warmer when he kissed her again. This time she broke it with a shove at his chest, having gotten over the initial shock and discovering a new one.  
“W-what… What are you doing?”   
“Kissing you, what does it loo- I mean, feel like?”   
“I know that you’re kissing me, dummy, I meant why?”   
There was a pause, and then he spoke.   
“I thought that would be pretty obvious…” He set her down as he said it.   
She had to take a deep breath and let it out before she let her words out in a flustered rush. “Sokka, I like you. I mean, I lo- lo-… You know! I have for a while now, but… I don’t know what to do with that.”   
The tension melted slightly as he took her by the shoulders and chuckled. “You don’t think about it, Toph, you just feel it.” His hand brushed her cheek. “It’s not something words can describe perfectly... I’m sorry if I made you feel rushed or anything.”   
“You didn’t… I just am new to this whole laying your feelings all out. I’m not very good at it, in case you couldn’t tell.” She sat down in the sand, feeling the water kiss the tips of her toes as he sat beside her. “My parents have never really ‘seen’ me, not the real me. I was always a helpless little girl to them, and any time I tried to say otherwise, they shut me down thinking they knew better. It didn’t really help me learn to be honest about my vulnerabilities, instead I focused everything into being stronger and proving them wrong. I know that I’m different, but I’m not vulnerable… I can’t be or else I’ll get squashed, and not by the rocks…”   
It was quiet for a long time, with nothing but the waves dully roaring. Sokka shifted beside her so that he was laying on his back with his arms beneath his head. He looked at the moon for a few moments and then back at Toph. “I don’t like talking about it often, but I still miss Yue… Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like now if she… If things had turned out differently. One thing I know though, is that feelings are a lot like after you eat rotten penguin-seal meat; if you keep it in, it just makes you sick until it comes out.”  
Toph chuckled and punched him in the arm. “Gross!”   
He laughed. “I’m serious, though. Toph, I want it to work.” He took her hand. “We’re friends, we get along, and that’s all that matters to me if it’s what you want, too.”   
She squeezed his hand. “I’d like that… I really would.”   
“You sound like you’re still not sure.”   
“Mmm.” She grumbled, but let her fingers lace with his.  
“How about we just see where this goes?”   
She grinned. “Yeah, we’ll ‘see’.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
It was cozy in the kitchen of the vacation house. Team Avatar were staying in a bungalow that Aang and Katara had bought the previous summer after spending their honeymoon in it. Zuko was staying with them as well while Mae was visiting her parents.  
“Where did you two run off to? Zuko was just about to show us how to make flame fritters.” Katara asked from the counter she was standing at, as Sokka and Toph walked inside.  
“We were getting some fresh air.” Sokka evaded, distracting his nosy sister further by coming over to sample the ingredients she was mixing. He immediately started coughing as if he had swallowed ash. “Is it supposed to taste like burning hot coals?!”   
“‘Flame’ fritters, Sokka. They’re hot.”   
Katara watched after Toph, who was silent but not her usual sort of quiet. Rather than pry, she went back to mixing while Toph sat beside Aang at a kotatsu table; Momo perched on his shoulder.   
“Where is Zuko, anyway?” Toph asked, noticing he wasn’t in the room before she and Sokka had even come in.  
“He needed to find the recipe.” Aang provided, distracted by crushing something in a mortar with a pestle.  
Sokka came over and joined them as he regularly would have, but Toph noticed he was sitting closer to her than usual. She didn’t move away, but she noticed with irritation that her face felt warm again.  
“Hey, Toph, are you getting sick? You look kind of feverish.” Aang asked, setting down what he’d been obliterating.   
“Nope.” She said with expert casualness. “It’s just hot in here.”  
Sokka had been sitting back on his hands, just as she had been, and his fingers were close enough to brush hers without anyone else noticing. She stood up as if she’d been electrocuted and bowed slightly. “Actually, I think I might be coming down with something. I’m going to turn in for the night.”  
“But you didn’t even get to try the flame fritters yet.” Aang called after her as she hurried out of the room.  
Zuko was coming in just as she reached the door, and she accidentally bumped into him. He looked surprised, before she said, ‘Sorry’, then dodged around him and to her bedroom. Everyone was staring after her pensively except for Sokka.  
“Does Toph seem a little out of sorts to you guys?” Katara asked.  
Zuko walked over to her and set down the rolled-up parchment with the recipe he’d been holding. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen her run into anything.”   
“I’ll go and check on her.” Sokka offered, feeling awkward as well.   
The rest of them shrugged it off as he left the room and trailed after Toph. He knocked softly on her door, guilt rising in his stomach. ‘I’m moving too fast.’ He thought. ‘Come on, Sokka. Don’t be stupid.’ Toph took her time crossing over to open the door and only slid it open a crack to speak with him.   
“What is it, Sokka?” She asked quietly, well aware that if she spoke too loud that the others could easily eavesdrop from down the hall.   
“I know you don’t have a fever. Can I come in?”   
She hesitated, but opened the door fully before closing it behind him after he came into her room.   
“We should probably talk some stuff out.” He suggested.  
“Alright,” She was crossing her arms as she walked over to her bed and sat down on it. “Let’s talk.”  
He didn’t sit beside her this time, but relaxed as he stood across from her. “I get the feeling that I’m coming on too strong for you. I know what you said on the beach, but it seems like suddenly there’s this brick wall between us.”  
“It’s not you, Sokka.” She sighed. “I’ve never had a relationship with anyone before. It’s not like I’m a snuggly person to begin with.”   
“Yeah, but we’ve sat together before, and you’re always holding onto me when we aren’t on solid ground. So, why are you suddenly acting like I’m going to give you cooties?”   
Unfolding her arms, she stood and crossed over to him. Placing her hand on his chest, she left it there for a measure of time before taking his hand with her opposite one and bringing it to her own heartbeat. He flinched a little at the contact with her chest, but relaxed as she kept him there with her firm grip. It was quiet except for their exhilarated breaths and heartbeats.   
“You feel it, don’t you? The vibrations? For you, I look different. I don’t know what that means to you when you see me, but for me you ‘feel’ different. It’s not very much, but it’s enough to tell that were not the same as we used to be. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s something I’ve never felt before from anyone. It’s almost like a storm, but one that’s coming straight for me.”   
Instead of speaking, Sokka raised his hand up her throat and to her cheek, taking the one on his heart and guiding it to his face. She could feel the back of his neck and ear, and where his hair brushed her fingertips. His jaw rested in her palm, while her thumb kissed his temple. The heat from his face radiated across her open palm as the far corner of his mouth moved against her open hand.  
“I love you, Toph. I don’t want to scare you. The reason my heart is beating faster than before, is because you look beautiful and I just wasn’t able to see it until now. When I look at you, it’s like the ocean is sending a wave right at me and I can’t get out of the way. I don’t want to get out of the way.”  
The pace between their hearts’ had quickened, seeming to jump from one to the other and back again without breaking rhythm. Their hands traveled around each other’s heads until each of them was holding the other in a locked kiss. Had they been counting, they would have measured a minute with their beats. Breaking away, they both turned at the gasp that came from the doorway.


End file.
